US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec reads a joint statement on behalf of mission in Kenyan on Kenya's General Election. [Photo: Daily Nation]
Jubilee Party MPs have taken an issue with foreign envoys for criticising the party's push to change election rules ahead of the fresh poll.Speaking during a press conference in Nairobi on Tuesday, the legislators led by Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu argued that none of the countries they represent had experienced a nullification of the presidential outcome to be qualified to offer what they termed as best 'practices'.On Monday, the envoys led by US ambassador Robert Godec cautioned the ruling party against pushing through amendments to election laws, saying international best practices discourage such changes so close to polls.But the MPs defended the changes, saying there was nothing sinister behind them."We doubt the envoys have a measure of the best practices they would want us to emulate, given that none of their countries has ever been in a position where they had a presidential election invalidated. Kenya's Parliament can only set the precedent on his front for other democracies," Wambugu said, as quoted by The Standard.Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, also present at the press briefing, said the changes were necessary and were being pursued legally and constitutionally.He dismissed claims that the amendments would polarise the country as the envoys had observed."We have heard the concerns expressed by our diplomatic partners on the timelines of these changes or even that they will polarise the country. We would like to remind the diplomats that the Opposition undertook a determined campaign to change the electoral law through the courts in the months leading to the August poll," Nyoro said.